3 ms·

It was 1 kopek for regular, 3 kopeks with syrup. Roughly equivalent to $3 and $9 in today's US dollars if calculated proportionally to median income. Prices are

by azov 10y ago

It was 1 kopek for regular, 3 kopeks with syrup. Roughly equivalent to $3 and $9 in today's US dollars if calculated proportionally to median income. Prices are shown in one of the pictures, btw: http://gazirovka.15kop.ru/gallery/#10 http://gazirovka.15kop.ru/gallery/#10 PS. There's much more info about soda machines in Russian version, and lots of cool graphics too: http://gazirovka.15kop.ru/machines/ http://gazirovka.15kop.ru/machines/ (scrolls horizontally, in case you haven't noticed) http://gazirovka.15kop.ru/history/ http://gazirovka.15kop.ru/history/ http://gazirovka.15kop.ru/glass/ http://gazirovka.15kop.ru/glass/

raquo 10y ago
So wait, that means USSR had no coin valued at less than today's $1.5 by purchasing power (assuming the 1/2 kopek coin existed at the time)? Interesting.
- lisivka 10y ago
  No, it means that nobody had more than $300 on the hands officially. I.e. they were poor (except "nomenclature" and "valuable people").
  - snaky 10y ago
    The highest official salary was about 1200 roubles a month - two people had this salary, Prime Minister and President of USSR Academy of Sciences. Nevertheless, there were people earning (illegally, of course) tens of millions - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsekhovik https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsekhovik
- snaky 10y ago
  It's complicated. Comparisons based on median income are inherently flawed due the radical differences in regimes (let's start from free education and housing). Let's compare it using market tools. The black market exchange rate was about 5 roubles for one US dollar in late USSR (official rate was about 60 cents for one rouble, but you had to be an elite to use it, and even then, in very small amounts) - you get up to death toll if they catch you with dollars, but that's another story. So 1 kopeyks in USSR was about 0.2 cents, and inflation calculator will tell you that would be about 0.6 cents in current value.
- mlvljr 10y ago
  No 1/2 kopeyka coins in USSR, those ("polushka" coins, ~= "halfies") ended in Tsar Russia :) 1 kop. was a small amount of money kids would often play with (you could buy a matchbox with it -- was its standard price!).

by azov 10y ago

raquo 10y ago

So wait, that means USSR had no coin valued at less than today's $1.5 by purchasing power (assuming the 1/2 kopek coin existed at the time)? Interesting.

lisivka 10y ago
No, it means that nobody had more than $300 on the hands officially. I.e. they were poor (except "nomenclature" and "valuable people").
- snaky 10y ago
  The highest official salary was about 1200 roubles a month - two people had this salary, Prime Minister and President of USSR Academy of Sciences. Nevertheless, there were people earning (illegally, of course) tens of millions - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsekhovik https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsekhovik
snaky 10y ago
It's complicated. Comparisons based on median income are inherently flawed due the radical differences in regimes (let's start from free education and housing). Let's compare it using market tools. The black market exchange rate was about 5 roubles for one US dollar in late USSR (official rate was about 60 cents for one rouble, but you had to be an elite to use it, and even then, in very small amounts) - you get up to death toll if they catch you with dollars, but that's another story. So 1 kopeyks in USSR was about 0.2 cents, and inflation calculator will tell you that would be about 0.6 cents in current value.
mlvljr 10y ago
No 1/2 kopeyka coins in USSR, those ("polushka" coins, ~= "halfies") ended in Tsar Russia :) 1 kop. was a small amount of money kids would often play with (you could buy a matchbox with it -- was its standard price!).